Tillsonburg, Ont. considers municipally operated medical clinic to help ease doctor shortage

Tillsonburg will conduct a feasibility study into a clinic that would directly employ family doctors. Bryan Bicknell reports.

The town of Tillsonburg is considering getting into the health care sector in a bid to attract family physicians.

Tillsonburg council has endorsed a motion for a feasibility study into whether a municipally operated medical clinic could be a viable solution to its doctor shortage.

“My pills, I need them, because here, it’s not good,” said Mary Arthur.

The Tillsonburg senior says she has been looking for a family doctor for several months, but with no luck.

She suffers from debilitating arthritis, and without a doctor, she can’t get the medication she needs for the pain.

She’s certainly not alone. According to the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) 2.5 million Ontarians are without a family doctor. It’s a growing concern in Tillsonburg, according to Coun. Kelly Spencer.

“Our population has grown, so there’s more people. There’s people that are driving two hours to see their old doctors from their old towns or cities that they lived in,” she explained.

Spencer says that under a municipally operated clinic model, the town would directly employ family physicians.

“We, like everyone else, is short of physicians and primary care practitioners. We have doctors retiring. And so, this would be a way for the town to get a revenue and cost neutral clinic for the municipality at no extra cost to taxpayers,” Spencer said.

OMA President Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman says communities are becoming creative in trying to attract family doctors, but someone always pays.

“I do worry that when we start to push for these municipalities, or for them to feel so constrained that they have to provide, whether it’s buildings, or some communities some large incentives, it really starts to pit communities against each other. And once there’s competition in health care, that means there’s both winners, but there’s definitely losers,” explained Abdurrahman.

The feasibility study comes back to Tillsonburg council next spring. If the idea does go ahead, it’s believed it would be a first for Ontario.

As for Mary Arthur, she’s holding out hope for something, or someone to help ease her pain.

And the sooner, the better.

“What can I do? Nothing. I just wait and hope to God, and hope it’s still, and hope it’s ok. I don’t know,” she said.